Who are the supporters behind each 2016 candidate?

People are always throwing around the term 'Trump supporter' or 'Clinton supporter' like everyone knows who those people actually are. While surveys and polling research has shed some light on the bases of both camps, we've found that campaign finance data can provide greater insight into what a typical Trump, Stein, Clinton or Johnson supporter looks like.

We've looked at the most common occupations for each candidate's donors, for every state in the country. The top result you'll see below is the occupation/state pair that has the most number of donors giving to that candidate. As it turns out, it's kind of perfect - just what you'd expect for some of them. For others...well, you decide.

Candidate Most common donor type

Donald Trump: a male salesman from Texas

Hillary Clinton: a female attorney from California

Jill Stein: a male software engineer from California

Gary Johnson: a male engineer from Texas

What about 2016's dropouts, like Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz? See below.

Which of these candidates do you support? Endorse your favorite below.

Rand Paul: a male attorney from Kentucky or a male engineer from California

Chris Christie: a male attorney from New Jersey

Lindsey Graham: a male attorney from South Carolina

Rick Perry: a female homemaker or a male attorney from Texas

Rick Santorum: a female homemaker from Pennsylvania or a female homemaker from Texas

Scott Walker: a female homemaker or a male company president from Wisconsin

Cross-sectioning the data in this way helps emphasize the out-size influence that attorneys have on our political system. They are responsible for the biggest chunk of money from a professional sector going to presidential candidates this cycle. It also shows that female homemakers are the most common type of donor to conservative candidates.

Also worth noting is Donald Trump's overwhelming support among salesmen, and Carson's popularity with physicians. Male software engineers seem to be spearheading the #BernieOrBust movement in the generals, choosing Stein over Clinton.

Lastly, it's worth pointing out that the most successful candidates were able to consolidate support outside of their home states. Looking at the data, you can easily pick away the early dropouts based on their core support coming almost exclusively from home. As it turns out, you actually do need to appeal to the rest of the country.